When he is in love
by Teida
Summary: Hades and Persephone story. Demeter is evil. I will be grateful if you review.
1. Prologue

_Hi there! First, I want to apologize__ to my readers for not updating soon. Well, I mean I haven't updated for ages, but I had a lot of work and some things in personal level which weren't inspiring at all. So … I think I've made a full recovery and here I am once again with my stories. I am warning you that there are some changes in the chapters so be careful what you are reading. I haven't changed the content of the story; it's just a new construction of the old things because I think the new construction represents the meaning of the story better. Oh, and by the way, "Prologue" is not the old "Prologue". The old one is united with chapter two now … so … you know. ___

_Prologue_

1

Hello, dear reader,

I am Teida, the newest goddess in the Olympian pantheon. I haven't known the Greek gods since 2001. Despite I am a goddess I am living and studying on the Earth with the other children, but they don't know anything about the truth. So … as you have understood, the Greek gods are alive and they are still living at Olympus … or, may I say, the majority of them.

Recently a great scandal flared up the gods. It was because of the marriage of Hades and Persephone. We understood many important things which had been kept away from Zeus so his judgment about the 6-months thing was declared as preposterous way to solve the problem. The Olympian society divided into two main groups: The first one blamed Hades for everything he had done to Demeter and Persephone. On one of the our feasts they said that they thought that Hades was guilty for changing the seasons and everything negative which had that change brought to mankind. He was labeled as a selfish pig. The second one blamed Demeter for everything which she had caused to the mankind, because, in their opinion she did it to obtain her wish, which, you know, was to be with Persephone once again.

We interviewed some nymphs, Oceanids, gods and goddesses because we wanted to know the truth about that outstanding problem. So … here is the truth of what really happened in the distant past and some interesting things which had happened shortly.

1 Prologue ;)


	2. Love from first sight

_Love from first sight_

The day was bathing in golden sunlight and as usual Persephone and her friends the Oceanids were enjoying while they were chasing themselves in green grass which was covered with diamond dewdrops. This was bringing them such joy that they laughter could be heard miles away resounding under the blue skies like a fairy song which Zephyrus was carrying away to unknown lands.

He got down from his chariot and he left it hidden behind some big rocks which were rising up like they were the rulers of this wonderful meadow in the middle of the forest. The man took off his helmet – now he was visible for everyone. In principle he was his shyness and the feeling that he was hatred by everyone and everything and no one has actually understood him has made him hide behind this strange artifact which he really loved and he didn't like when it was far from it. He took of his sword, heavy armor, his rings and everything that could expose him as the king of the Underworld. Now he was able to go to the girl who was made him fell in love with her at the first sight when he saw her in his huge mirror at the throne room where he usually was watching what was going on the earth. He was so taken aback of the beauty of the daughter of Demeter that he forgot to make the daily register – a large book in which he was writing good and bad actions of people. This stopped the work of the three judges in the Underworld because they didn't know if the person before them is good or bad. Minos was furious at Hades and he told him that in his opinion Hades should go to the upper world and watch Persephone from there. Hades didn't punish Minos, because he didn't want his subjects to know why he couldn't cope with the work.

Hades approached the girls trying not to frighten them raising his hand for salute, smiling when he saw his Persephone. The Oceanids lost their tongues. You could read in their eyes "By Olympus, he is really handsome". Persephone kept cool but she liked Hades a lot, too.

"Who are you?" – Persephone asked

"I'm a traveler but I think I've lost my way. My name is Tereus. Can you tell me where I am?

Persephone laughed and the echo repeated her laughter long time:

"You are in Sicilia. I'm Persephone and these are my friends – the Oceanids."

Hades bowed before Persephone. Well, he was really good at playing a stranger.

"Maybe you've traveled a lot and you are tired. You can stay with us if you want to, if not for a couple of days, then at least for today. – She smiled and winked at him.

Hades couldn't image happier result and he couldn't refuse Persephone's offer, too. The god and the goddess sat on the grass and the nymphs gave them some fruits to eat (ambrosia was forbidden for "mortals") and after that they went to giggle where nobody could hear them.

"Mom will be furious if she finds out that I've talked to a mortal stranger. I just won't be able to imagine her face if I tell her that you've stayed for a couple of days.

"You mother must be proud of you. – He tried to say something even he wasn't talkative at all. You know, he lived in a place where it was strange to talk with someone. – She has really beautiful daughter. I can't imagine so much beauty that I can see before me, but it's normal … You are a goddess I … I … I'm a mortal (it was difficult for him to offend himself with such a lie!). You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

She smiled:

"Thank you, you are so kind!" – And after that she huddled Hades up in such way like she would do it with her mother, her father or her friends. Tereus (or Hades – as you wish) was kissed on the cheek.

It was such naïve burst, but it bring him such warmth and tenderness that he could feel how the ice around his heart was melting. He wasn't going to fight … actually he wanted to indulge in his temptation.

He came near her slowly and hugged her, and then she could feel that his arm was deathlike cold.

"Wow – she thought – those mortals become cool really quickly."

She thought the problem was in the setting sun which was colored the sky in different nuances of red, pink and orange, but these flames couldn't give the warmth which the radiant god Helios was giving at noon. He explained her that everything was okay and he was a little cooler than the other people by birth. Then he smiled foolishly and pulled her so she could feel his breath then. He ran his fingers over her cheek and then trough her shiny blonde curls which were falling down to her waist. Persephone folded Hades' neck in her little, but gentle arms. Hades was happy at last and he was thinking that he had some charm like his brothers and the problem was that he didn't know that until that moment. His patience was gone then, like he had never ever had it because obviously it was part of the ice around his lazy heart. Then Persephone had melted it and she took his ability to wait all eternity away. His lips wanted to touch hers and his heart was beating like drum waiting to leap together with hers. He touched her lips with his and if it was depending on him, he would continue doing that all eternity.

She stopped the kiss first. For Hades, It was like she cut off with sharp knife his huge wings. He plumped in the real world really painfully because he saw Persephone crying. Well, Hades was in reality again, so thoughts like: "I'm disgusting and clumsy, look what I have done with this wonderful girl!" weren't so unexpected.

He hugged her and told her with low and gentle voice (like never before!):

"Is everything okay?"

"Nothing is okay, stranger! – She sobbed – I didn't have to allow a man to touch me. Now I am dishonored! What will I tell mother?"

Hades was watching silly at Persephone. He knew she was the little, pampered Demeter's child but he was shocked when he realized that Persephone wasn't explained at what have to happen so she could name herself "dishonored". He had to explain her that she wouldn't be dishonored even if he kissed her 1000 times:

"Persephone, look … you have your honor even after our kiss. There are other things which women and men do to change that … anyway … I just wanted to tell you that there is nothing to cry for.

"Is that so even if I kiss you two times?" – She asked.

Hades laughed loudly, deep from his heart. He hasn't done in since the Titanomachy when Zeus had been spotty teenager who was in love with Hera, but she couldn't stand him.

"It's the same." – He winked.

She kneeled before him and covered his face with kisses. Hours became minutes and minutes became seconds. Before they went to bed, Hades tried to explain her who he really was but he understood that this might ruin their happy life. He had heard Persephone was afraid of him without a clear reason. He decided to play Tereus to make her love him for that he was. Then he would ask Zeus to give him her for his wife and then, only then Hades would tell her who he really was.

Hades kissed her when she finally fell asleep and went to his kingdom to finish some urgent work.

He couldn't do anything, because he wasn't able to concentrate on anything but Persephone. He spent the night in front of the mirror, because he wanted to look perfect the next day. That was something nobody has ever expected from him.

HR

The sun god came finally out of his golden palace and began his daily tour around the earth once again. He was making a present to everybody who lived on Earth – it was a huge reddish smile which was waking gods and people up. Hades hasn't been receiving his presents for a long time, but then he remembered that sweet caress which every men received, but not he – the god. It was really ironically. He was watching the first rays coming down but he didn't realize that they were more valuable than all his gold and diamonds at once.

Hades was melting at the sight of Persephone and he was waiting for her to wake up. He had brought her a present. They weren't diamonds or gold – things that could easily let him out but beautiful flowers, bloody roses, which Persephone really liked. "Her lips are like the roses which grow at the shores at Styx." – He thought – "They belong to her and she belongs to them." He could wait no longer he wanted to share his kingdom and wealth with her and to give her his heart. He put the roses down near her, because something or someone attracted his attention. He saw Thanatos, the god of death calling him. It was something really important because Thanatos was really troubled. Hades went to him and he wanted to break his head and to make him suffer all the pain in the world:

"What's so important, Thanatos? Are you full idiots? Can't you handle it for a day without me?"

"You can't understand, master! There is a war in all of Greece and hundreds of people are dying for minutes. There are 2000 new comers only for the morning and if you asked me I would tell you that the shores of Acheron look like a beach in the middle of the season! There is no space to breathe … the time when they wouldn't be able to go in will come very soon! They have to go to the court! We can't judge without you, you know …."

"Okay, maybe you are right and we have a lot of work to do. I will come with you." – He said with a pity.

He didn't want to wake Persephone up, he thought he would finish the work quickly and he would return to her before she had opened her eyes. "It's not so bad, Thanatos likes to exaggerate things."

But when he came down he understood that Thanatos was right and there was no exaggeration at all. There was a huge crowd at the shores of Acheron. The shades wanted to be judged and to rest in peace. Hades could hardly pass them through and the bad thing was Thanatos was bringing more and more. The king of the Underworld began his work despite he wanted to be at other place. Hades was a hard worker. That meant he had never ever judged somebody without care. He always wanted to find the truth and to be just in his estimates. He was terrified when he understood that the day was just over but his work was just begun. He wasn't going to finish it the same day or the day after that. In the Upper world, at Nyssea a heart was dying because it couldn't find its beloved one. Persephone couldn't sleep well at that night. She was really worried and this could be seen from her mother. Demeter wasn't able to understand actually why her daughter changed so much, because Persephone knew her mother wouldn't understand her. For the goddess of the harvest mortals were just wretches – they are at the Upper world that day, but at the next they are in some other place, you know … Days were elapsing with fastness and despite of Persephone's hopes Tereus didn't come to her. Her heart was worried no longer, it was broken then. She thought he had abandoned her without even saying "goodbye". Five years passed and for Persephone Tereus was just a memory – banished at the bottom of her thoughts where she had left him because she wanted to drown him, to forget him. For Tereus the memory of Persephone was still alive like everything happened the day before. He remembered every single second of what they had experienced together. At the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth the war in Greece was over and the work in the Underworld have been normalized. Hades had much more freetime and he was able to leave the work for that day for the next day. He could go and see Persephone at last but he knew that he couldn't come into her side like he had been away for a day. He was wondering if his beloved one has found somebody else to love and if she remembered him at all. To begin everything once again and to play mortal meant that he had to wait, but he hadn't patience to do that. It was time to take her away and to make her a queen of the Underworld. He decided to go to Zeus's palace the following night.


	3. A conversation at Olympus

_**A conversation at Olympus**_

The dark night was covered everything under her veil. Even the palace of the gods wasn't bathing in sunlight. Stars were shining dimly and they were blinking as if they knew that the coming of this stranger in the gods' place wasn't a good thing.

He pulled the reins of the horses in and they stopped immediately. They weren't ordinary steeds: their flowing mane was on fire; they were flames coming out from their nostrils; their eyes were red as the blood was; they destroyed everything living which was standing on their way and they were leaving huge crabs in the earth which you can smell the stink of sulfur from. Their reins were strong because the mystical rider didn't want to let them escape. Accoutrements were made from pure gold and diamonds.

The figure of the traveler could be hardly seen in everything around him, because he was thrown over a black cloak. As he removed the cloak only his pale complexion could be seen in the dark night. He was heavy armed – there was a huge scabbard on his thigh from which could be noticed solid sword. There were smaller knifes in his sandals. He had a hold of a pendant with a dragon in it in his arm – a symbol of aristocratism in the Underworld. He was let to pass with no problem from the two guards who were protecting the main entrance of Zeus' palace. He headed for the throne room. As Hades found the door open, he entered there then he bowed before the king of the gods. He had to talk with him on private as you know:

"Well, brother … what is bringing you here at this time of the day … or may I say "the night"?

"It's a girl … really beautiful girl … a goddess."

Zeus burst in laugh: "a GODDESS, ha-ha-ha-ha"

"Well, I suppose you don't want me, so where is your problem?" – Zeus arched his eyebrows, because he couldn't understand Hades. - "Can you imagine for a moment that I was you and am telling you for every girl who I want to make sex with?"

"It's not so simply and funny. I want her to be my queen!"

The Thunderer became serious:

"Ah, you want a queen and you came for our blessing. But I don't have any intentions to wake Hera up, because she just fell asleep. Why don't you stay here for the night as my guest? We are brothers after all and it's a pity that we can't see each other very frequently. By the way – which nymph have you chosen for your wife?"

"It's not a nymph!" – Hades shouted – "I want you daughter Persephone and nobody else!" – He continued lowery because he wanted to convince Zeus to give Persephone to him.

Zeus was wide-eyed with surprise. How can he actually want right Persephone?

"Ah, Persephone!" – Zeus scratched his neck a little. – "Well, this makes your request a tricky thing. I have to ask the other gods in cases like this, you know. I mustn't change the statute of an important goddess only by myself."

"You can't understand, Zeus. I have been waiting for nearly five years and now my patience is over. I am going to take her to the Underworld tomorrow and I don't care if you agree or not. Once she is with me I won't let the gods, even you to take her away!"

Zeus frowned and wrath could be seen on his face then:

"Are you trying to threaten ME, Hades? You have become stupid because of love on my daughter. If you touch her without my permission I will make you big troubles."

"Oh, yeah, you will make me leave your team. I accept that, dear brother, I will be glad to leave you the government of the Underworld. It will be great if I am just a shade in the Elysian Fields. The most important thing is I would not remember you, or her, or anybody else. But look at the other side of the things: - Hades laughed despotic. – Actually your treasure is my treasure. Castor and Polydectus are mine; they had to be in my world. Don't forget about Adonis and Hercules. Yeah, Hercules! Thanatos was just carrying him away when you came. I have given you so much and I will continue doing this with pleasure. But I want her from you, because I do need her!"

The king of the gods took a deep breath:

"Hades, I really want to this for you. I know you yield to me only because of your lot. You are a great king and you can be great husband and a father but if you really do like Persephone, come to Olympus or to the Earth to show her this. You want to keep her away from the Sun, flowers and stuff like that but you don't realize she is living for it. She will always hate you if you take her to the Underworld. You want to lock a bird in a cage and to wait it to sing."

"I want to keep working on my job, Zeus. I won't leave the Underworld because I like Olympus. There is a lot of work in my kingdom. I can't leave it, but I realized I need support and help."

"Hades, it's not meant to be, she is not for you."

"And when you became Aphrodite to tell me who is for me and who is not for me?"

"Differences between your interests and characters are obvious. You need a woman like mine – who likes power and wealth, you know, who has strong character, smart – to help you rule over you empire. You don't need pampered baby like Persephone who will bring you only troubles and worries."

"You don't get it; I love her because of who she is!"

"Do you think she loves you because of who you are?"

Hades smiled:

"She will learn to love me!"

"Okay, let's accept that you will handle your own problems, but what about mine? The gods will bring me so much that maybe I will think about abdication.

The king of the dead raised hands:

"You are the king of the gods, Zeus. You are my little brother who can do everything he wants. I'm sure you will handle it. I am here to receive what I want."

Zeus got up from his throne and brandished a finger very nervous:

"You come to me, you want me to give you my daughter despite I know she would feel like she is in prison. You know very well how would Demeter react in this case, you know how many problems she would bring me and you are telling me that you actually don't care with all your insolence! You can forget, Hades, I will not give her for your wife!

The god of the dead walked round the room for a while nervously then faced Zeus once again:

"Do you know how difficult is when you draw the smallest twig of the lot and you have to be the god of the dead, huh? If you want to be the king of the Underworld you will need a lazy heart covered with dust and ice. If you don't have it, you will suffer; it will be your end. That's what I thought five years ago before I met her. Then I realized something – I was dead without knowing it, because I have accepted my lonely existence as a fact which I can't change. When I understood that I have the chance to change my life I realized that I am dying because of my loneliness in this kingdom of death. You and Poseidon have your families, but what about me? What do I actually have? You can't imagine how miserable I feel every day, because I'm invisible – with the helmet or without it. I'm isolated and I have used to it so much that I isolate myself. I want to ask you if you can live even for a day without all the women, children and friends, only by yourself. When you try this you will understand the difference between existence and living. Remember, brother, I just want to live, I'm sick of existing. Do this for me, please, and I won't ask you for anything more."

Zeus took a deep breath. It was a hard decision to make and it was really serious. For a couple of minutes he was staring at the ceiling like there was the right answer of this difficult choice. He answered his brother lowly and indecisively:

"Okay, you can take her to your kingdom, you have my blessing and Hera will agree with me. I want you to act as fast as you could. I want Persephone to be already happy and not to want to return to the Upper world when Demeter finds her."

"I will do my best! Farewell, I have to go now!"

After these words Hades got on his chariot and went to his kingdom.


	4. So we meet again?

The following day brought more beauty and happiness in the world. Demeter, the goddess of the harvest was teaching her daughter how to use her divine abilities. For Demeter, there was one thing which was worth living all eternity. It wasn't the glory of Mt. Olympus, because she knew it was a transient thing. It wasn't Zeus – she had been in love with him a long time ago, but not then. For her, he was just an annoying king and she was obligated to grant his requests. Persephone was the meaning of her life and Demeter's greatest wealth. It was her daughter who inspired her to create all the things and to make nature beautiful and enchanting. You can see Persephone's smile, tendering and lovely, in every fallen leaf, in every flower, in everything … The bad thing was that actually the goddess of the harvest clung to her daughter; she stifled Persephone with her love and care. Demeter was doing everything possible not to give her daughter the opportunity to grow up. So … years were passing, but Persephone has remained a 15-years old girl. Her mother didn't let her decide for her own life much less to have an opinion about the world around her. Everything was happening because Demeter was scared that her daughter would abandon her if she gets married. Well … this morning wasn't marking the happiest day in the life of the goddess of the harvest.

"Mom, I'm sick of all this lessons. I have the all eternity to learn them so why should I memorize all this things only for a day? I want to go pick flowers with my friends! Look at them! They are so happy!" – Persephone said.

"You may go with them if you want to, but don't go too far, my dear! I want you to be always with them and, please, don't talk with strangers!"

"I know, mom, you always tell me this!"

"I want you to remember it and implement it!" – Demeter caressed her daughter.

Persephone was picking flowers when she noticed a rose. It was with bloody color, just like those who Tereus had left her before he abandoned her. The young goddess became sad and several pearly tears dropped in the moist ground. She was watching the flower lost in her thoughts, but she was interrupted by a hind behind an old tree. She looked around, but there was nobody there. Persephone wanted to find her mother and the nymphs, but first of all she desired to pick the bloody rose. So … she did it and she was preparing to leave when ground trembled and a huge crack opened before her. Hades, in all his greatness and in all his power, carried Persephone off for a blink of an eye. The girl cried loudly for her mother and friends, but it was too late. Then the ground shat itself off so nobody could notice that there had been a crack only minutes ago. Demeter arrived to the place breathlessly, but she couldn't see her daughter and she started her long journey around the earth to find her.

By this time Hades and Persephone had already been in the throne room of the Underworld palace. The girl was standing in circle of light while everything around her was covered with darkness. He was in the dark side of the premises sitting on his throne. Demeter's daughter could hardly see his figure and she hadn't seen his face yet. She was shocked and disgusted for his deed.

"You … you are loathsome … - she was shouting at him with tears in her eyes. – How could you do this to me? What have I done to you to receive such treatment?"

"What do you find loathsome in my treatment? I love you and I want you to be my wife."

"And you are asking! If you haven't noticed, let me tell you that we are in the middle of some kind of prison where there is no sunlight. I am separated from those who I love – mammy, daddy and my friends. You will be in a big trouble when Demeter finds out where I am!"

Hades burst in laugh when he heard Persephone's thread.

"First of all, are you sure that she could find you here? Second, your mother is not all-powerful and she can't defy me, nor any god or mortal but Zeus."

"You will be received his command to set me free soon, you will see! He loves me a lot, too!"

"And I love you, too, more than everybody else, believe me! About the Zeus thing … don't worry about it. I have his permission and blessing to make you my wife …"

"I will never let you do it, Hades, ever! You can forget about me and your intention to marry me, because I love another and I can't love such a disgusting creature like you!"

Hades walked past the light circle so he could reach Persephone from her back. Then he put his hands on her shoulders, fondling her neck for a while, then embracing her tiny waist. The blonde girl was so scared and confused that she didn't know what to do standing in the middle of the dark throne room without even moving. Hades continued, whispering to her ear:

"As far as I know it was Tereus, the stranger five years ago, but who is the fortunate man now?"

"He is … the same." – said Persephone stammered as she felt Hades' breath on her neck.

"Good then" – he said.

"What have you done to him?!" – She cried and tried to free herself from his embrace.

"I have done to him nothing … actually he had never existed at all. It was just me." – He showed the girl his face.

Persephone was shocked then and she couldn't believe her eyes. At first she was very happy to see him, so she wanted to cuddle Hades and to give him a kiss. But then she remembered that he was Hades, the cruel ruler of the Underworld, who was playing her like a doll and he had ruined her life once and he was trying to do it for a second time without even thinking for her feelings. Demeter's daughter tried to run away from him, but when she reached the doors, Hades told her in angry and perceptional voice to stop. The gates went closed with a clash.

"You are in my palace and in my kingdom, there is nowhere you can escape me! Is it enough clear?" – The god of the Underworld became silent for a moment seeing the frightened Persephone. – "Come here" – he told her with a gentle manner.

"Take me back to the Upper world where are my mother and my friends, where the Sun is shining!" – Persephone wept.

"I know you are angry with me because I left you on the second day, but a war in all of Greece broke out and I had a lot of work here. It was my duty to finish everything before I could arrange my own life. Everything here is normalized now and you will stay with me. To take you back to the Upper world is the only thing that I won't do for you. Ask me for anything else and I will give it to you, as well as my heart."

"You have icy heart." – Persephone whispered.

"I have had once, but you have melted it. My heart is burning now." – Hades sighed.

Persephone remained silent. He continued:

"Come to show you your room, you might like it. There is a huge window and you can see the Elysian Fields from there. You can always go there to pick flowers or to enjoy the light. Everything is made by magic, but there is a close resemblance between the Upper world and the Elysian Fields. – He grabbed her hand and together they passed over several tenebrous corridors. Then they found themselves in very different atmosphere where everything was shinning and beautiful, just like Olympus. – "I will leave your door unlocked because I don't want to keep you prisoner, but I truly hope that you don't have the intension to try to escape once again. You must understand that running away is a foolish act. You will be my queen within a few days. – He kissed her on her neck. – Now I have to go, there is a lot of work to do, so will you excuse me? I hope you will miss me."

Hades liked it when everything was in a perfect order and he always kept his promises. Within two days he announced his decision to marry Persephone and to make her queen of the Underworld. Despite of the fact that they were married, Hades spent a little time with Persephone, because he was thinking that his persistence is unwelcome for her. Demeter's daughter hated him for everything he had done to her, for everything she had lost for him, and, most of all that she was left alone in a room, like a bird in a cage. The new queen was spending her days thinking about the old times and the beautiful Upper world where she had everything she needed. Hades was doing his best to take care of her, but it was like he was raising a pet or growing flowers. One thing was certain – Persephone had grown up in a spiritual way, away from her mother. She was independent person then and she had to cope with her own problems only by herself. There was enough time for her to think about life and why all that was happening to her. She was not a child anymore, because she knew she wouldn't receive anything she wants, she knew what to say and when to say it and the most important thing – she understood how to treat different persons.

But at the end of the sixth month of Persephone's arrival Hades was received a letter form Zeus, the king of the gods. It said:

_"The Earth looks like your kingdom now. You see by yourself that people are dying because of hunger and cold weather. The whole world which the gods are creating for three generations is dying. Gaia is weeping and she wants me to do something to stop this. Everything is happening because of Demeter, who doesn't care a lot. She used my sense of fairness to manipulate me and make me write this letter. I can't stand watching innocent people suffering for something which is not their blame. Whole nations are dying and they are fading away. I did my best to give you a proper life, brother. The only thing which I can do now is to give you 6 months yearly with her. The other 6 she will be with her mother. Your time with Persephone for this year is over. Say good-bye to your "life" and bring her back to the Upper world as soon as you can._

_Zeus"_


	5. Freedom

_**Freedom**_

Hades, desperate and heart-broken, had to inform his wife about Zeus' decision. As usual his younger brother was right for everything which could possibly happen. Demeter had made really big troubles to make innocent suffer because she was suffering. What a great and constructive philosophy in life! Persephone hated him, because she had already fallen in love with the Sun and the flowers. How stupid he was feeling then! He was laughing at himself – how could he possibly expect to make the goddess of blossom a queen of the Underworld? He was angry with himself for everything he had done. He once had been so fearsome and horrifying that mortals wouldn't have pronounced his name. He once had been this one who was known as the greatest judge ever born. But now he was some sort of an idiot who was roaming somewhere in the air. He was so addicted to her that he could provoke nothing but laughter in his interlocutors with his opinions. He wished he could go to Olympus to break Aphrodite's beautiful neck. He would be very happy then.

He knocked on Persephone's door knowing she was there. She didn't answer which wasn't surprise for Hades:

"Prepare yourself! You are going to the Upper world, where your mother, your friends are and where you can see the Sunlight.

Demeter's daughter couldn't believe that was happening. She finally opened the door:

"Oh, great then, but where is the trick?" – She asked.

"There is no trick, it's Zeus' order. But after six months I will see you, my darling Persephone!"

Persephone was happy then. Six months on the Upper world were better than nothing; she would live these days in a care-free manner away from the hateful Underworld and all the sorrow which it had cost her.

The arrangements for Persephone's departure were at their height. Delegation was waiting the goddess at the outer gate of her "prison" while Persephone was looking herself in the mirror, putting into place a wreath of fresh flowers which Hermes had given her. Then she met Hades' miserable look in the mirror. The young goddess took pity of him, but she didn't say anything. She was happy then and nothing could actually overshadow her feelings. Persephone was like a flower – it had been dying because of the lack of light and warmth only minutes ago but then it just opened its tender petals and it was enchanting everybody around with its beauty and its lovely scent.

"Come on, let's go!" – She spurred on her husband.

"Wait, Persephone, just for a second! – He answered. – "You will miss me … so much."

"There is nothing to wait for. I am going by myself" – she tramped with her leg.

"Okay, okay, we are going outside. I just … I just wanted a last kiss. – He kissed her, but she did nothing in return, just continued preparing.

……

When they reached the gates which divided the Upper and the Underworld, Persephone told Hades:

"Depressed, huh, you are a true king of the Underworld now. The atmosphere is just for you, but it's not suitable for me. – She smiled, kissed him (because she was happy, not because she was in love with him) and then … just scooted off without even taking a backward glance.


	6. Demeter's plan

_**Demeter's plan**_

"Oh, my dear child, what had Hades done to you? You are so pale! You must have gone though terrible things!" – Demeter was indignant at Hades and she had good motive to hate him for the rest of eternity.

"I was rotting in loneliness!" – Persephone cried, still not recovered from the shock. – "I don't want to go there anymore! I want to go to daddy, to tell him I don't want to be a queen of the Underworld. I want everything to be over!"

"It's not that simple, child. Zeus had promised Hades that you will marry him and he had sworn by the river Styx. The only way to set you free from this prison is to make Hades dissolve your marriage."

"Well, that's impossible, he won't do it!"

"Listen, honey, I think I have a good plan."

"What plan do you have" – Persephone asked and took a seat.

"Well, Hades has high sense of dignity. In my opinion he considers himself as greater as he actually is. So … you have to reject him and soon everything will be over. If he is truly in love with you, he won't do you any harm. If he is not and he is trying to force you to do something, this will speed up our plan, because Zeus will interfere."

"But … mom, I love … I mean … like Hades. He hadn't done anything bad to me. He is gentle, tender and attentive to me most of the time. I just … don't like his kingdom. If he is with me in Nyssea, I will be very happy.

Demeter went mad with her daughter and Hades when she heard what Persephone had said.

"There is no "but" when you are talking to me, Persephone. I am your mother and you will do what I am telling you! You don't know the lord of the Underworld at all, he is a dog. He is repellent, cruel, avaricious, revengeful and vile. He will make you cry one day. He hates me, he wants to hurt me and he uses you. I don't think he is in love with you. He was behaving nicely because he wanted to blind you, and I see he had succeeded. You don't want to spend the rest of eternity with him, believe me. Dividing the year into two pieces is temporary decision. The general assembly of the gods wants to see how the things between you and him would develop and within a couple of years it will pronounce its final decision. If the meeting adjudges that you are staying with him, they might withdraw my privileges as a goddess of the harvest. They might even make me a mortal woman if they decide that I am a danger for your marriage and for the mankind."

"What do you mean with "danger", what had happened? – Persephone asked.

"Didn't Hades read you the letter from Zeus?"

"No, he just told me that because of Zeus' command, he is setting me free for six months."

"Ah, Zeus is a rotter! He wrote many bad things for me in this letter and he thought that I don't know about it! Look around you, Persephone, and you will understand what is happening here!"

"What have you done?!" – Persephone cried – "I have returned from the Underworld, because I wanted to see the Sun shining over the green valleys, where I can see the peaks of Mt. Olympus in distance. I wanted to see bees and butterflies flying and collecting nectar from the flowers… Instead … instead I see deserts and destruction. Haven't I had enough of death and devastation, huh? What to you think?"

"What is done, is done." – Demeter waved her hand disparagingly. – "We will put right everything together. Instead of dead people, new ones will live. Contemporary nations will build up their own history on the ruins of the old ones. I am warning you, Persephone! I will to this to the nature until everything between you and Hades is OVER"

Persephone sighed and went to help her mother with the nature.


End file.
